▪️14 boxers from Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon and DR Congo are in action in today’s opening round of 16 bouts
07/12/2025
The eagerly awaited pre-quarters showdown between Cuba’s multiple Olympic and world champion Julio Cesar La Cruz and Senegal’s Africa heavyweight champion Karamba Kebe is the highlight of today’s IBA Men’s World Championships round of 16.
Kebe, a silver and gold medallist in the 2023 and 2024 Africa Elite Championships, is unshaken by La Cruz’s credentials, and said he will take him as he comes.
Equally unshaken is Kebe’s coach Bole Gueye .”We’re fully prepared, physically and mentally,” Gueye told boxersworld.co.ke. “We know our opponent well, and we’ve already laid out our strategies. And we’re confident of victory, God willing. You know, boxing doesn’t stay in one place. We’ll have an opponent in front of us, and we have the solution.”
The fight is the talk of the town in Senegal’s capital city Dakar with boxing fans rooting for their French-based celebrity. The burly and well-fed Secretary-General of Senegal Boxing Federation Anta Gueye said La Cruz is not invincible.
“We can beat him, our boxer will make full use of his southpaw stance to confuse La Cruz,” Anta told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview from Dakar.
“We’re confident and believe our boxer Karamba has a chance to shine against La Cruz. Karamba is younger and fresher, although Cruz has more experience. Victory will go to the one who wants it most. Let’s hope it’s Karamba. It would be great if he could exploit Cruz’s strengths and score points in his weaknesses.”
Kebe is one of the 14 African boxers in action today in the opening day of the pre-quarters. It’s understood DR Congo’s Mayala Nsimba might not be available.
The 14 African boxers in action in today’s opening day of the pre-quarters
Welterweight
Tunisia’s Zakaria Romdhani vs Uganda’s Bob Turyatemba
Heavyweight
Senegal’s Karamba Kebe vs Cuba’s Julio Cesar La Cruz
Light-heavyweight
Kenya’s Robert Okaka vs Tunisia’s Youssef Rafrafi
Minimumweight
DR Congo’s Mayala Nsimba vs Australia’s Kobe Hunt
Botswana’s Kobamelo vs Russia’s Edmond Khudoian
Lightweight
Kenya’s Washington Wandera vs Latvia’s Matvejs Prokudins
Ghana’s Ebener Ankrah vs Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan
Zambia’s Andrew Chilata vs Kazakhstan’s Serik Termirrzhanov
Ethiopia’s Haymanot Desalegn vs Russia’s Vsevolod Shumkov
Middleweight
Mali’s Djibril Traore vs Sri Lanka’s Mohammed Yazmin
Super-heavyweight
Uganda’s Mark Ziikama vs Turkemenistan’s Dovlet Yslamov
Cameroon’s Zacharie Mvogo vs Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Abdullayev
